I stood in the academy's central plaza, dressed in the shop's "exclusive manager's uniform"—a sleek black tuxedo with a necktie that felt like a noose. A stack of flyers sat neatly in my hand, their edges crisp and untouched.
Cassandra had called this "model/drip marketing."
"Just stand there," she'd said, "with your usual indifferent, cold gaze. Let the outfit do the work."
I glanced toward the trio—Cassandra, Princess Sara, and Lannete—huddled behind a statue a fair distance away. They were barely hidden, peeking out like amateur spies, giving me enthusiastic thumbs-ups and what they probably thought were motivating gazes.
Why are you hiding behind a statue?! Everyone can see you!
I suppressed a sigh.
This was ridiculous.
I knew exactly what Cassandra was doing—using me as bait to lure in customers (specifically female ones). And while I wasn't against honest marketing, this felt… cheap.
Ten minutes passed.
Nothing.
A few girls walked by, whispering behind their hands as they pointed at me. The boys barely spared me a glance before moving on.
I'm really not cut out for this job.
My background character aura was too strong. Even in a tuxedo, I was practically invisible.
And this damn tie—it was choking me.
Frowning slightly, I reached up with my right hand and loosened it, tugging at the collar for relief.
A beat of silence.
Then—
"Excuse me…?"
I turned.
A group of girls had materialized out of nowhere, their eyes bright with interest. One of them, a brunette with a ribbon in her hair, stepped forward.
"Are you… free right now?" she asked, her voice a little too eager.
I blinked. What?
But then I remembered—mission.
Stay indifferent. Play the part.
"I'm working," I said flatly, gesturing to the flyers. "Our new shop opening today. We are offering discounts, gifts and bonuses. The shop is a new business of Lady Cassandra, the future Business Queen."
Well, the last part was an improvisation.
The girls exchanged glances before the brunette pressed on.
"So… if we go to the shop, will we see you there?"
I hesitated.
"If you're lucky," I muttered.
Because I'll only be there on weekends.
The girls squealed—actually squealed—before snatching up flyers and scurrying off, already chattering excitedly.
From behind the statue, Cassandra's grin was triumphant. Princess Sara looked equal parts impressed and flustered. Lannete just shook her head, as if she'd expected nothing less.
I stared at the spot where the girls had been, then down at my loosened tie.
…What just happened?
Can a loosened tie do something like this?!
Or is this tie an artifact?!
Shaking my head at the bizarre tie phenomenon, I moved on to the next phase of Cassandra's brilliant marketing plan—the free sample demonstration. I set down the stack of flyers and opened the elegant lunchbox, revealing perfectly portioned desserts alongside a chilled can of juice.
Just as I took my first sip, a voice piped up behind me.
"Brother, are you not gonna eat it?"
A question mark practically materialized above my head.
I turned to see a familiar chubby face—the boy from the ball, the one who'd shocked everyone by transforming from a glutton into a poetic genius mid-feast.
Oh, it's the unstoppable eater.
My lips twitched.
"This is for display," I said flatly.
The boy's eyes locked onto the desserts like a hawk spotting prey. "So… you're not eating it?"
I sighed, plucking out a miniature fruit tart. "This is a sample from our shop. You can try it if you want."
The boy's hands shot forward—then paused.
"Your hands are clean?" I asked squinting my eyes
"…Yes. I always keep them clean."
...Of course.
"Here." I offered the tart.
He blinked. "…For free?"
"...Yes."
"THANK YOU!" He snatched the tart and devoured it in two massive bites, licking stray custard from his fingers with alarming enthusiasm. Then—his eyes widened.
"Good. Good! This is really from Lady Cassandra's business!" He smacked his lips. "The taste is as excellent as always! I'll take one then!"
I nodded and handed him a flyer—but didn't let go when he tried to take it.
The chubby boy stared at me in confusion, our hands locked in a tug-of-war over glossy paper.
"…Brother?"
I maintained eye contact. "One condition."
"Huh?"
"Tell your friends." I released the flyer. "Especially the ones who appreciate good food."
A slow grin spread across his face. "Ohhh. Clever." He pocketed the flyer with a wink. "Don't worry—I know exactly who to tell."
As he waddled off with newfound purpose, I exhaled. Phase two: complete.
Behind the statue, Cassandra was practically vibrating with excitement. Princess Sara looked torn between amusement and concern. Lannete just facepalmed.
I popped a tart into my mouth.
Maybe this marketing thing isn't so bad after all.
Just as I finished my late breakfast—well, more like a marketing prop at this point—another voice piped up behind me.
"M-Mister!"
Good. At least they let me finish.
I'd sensed them approaching with Echo of Life, so I wasn't surprised. Still, I turned with what I hoped was a convincingly questioning look.
The another group of juniors stood there, led by the ribbon-haired girl from earlier. She fidgeted slightly before blurting out,
"Umm… can you do that again?"
"…What?" I replied, feigning ignorance.
The juniors didn't buy it. In unison, they demanded, "The necktie thing!"
…
My lips twitched.
Is the necktie more appealing than I am?!
A quick glance toward Cassandra confirmed my suspicions—she was practically vibrating behind the statue, nodding furiously and mouthing "DO IT." Princess Sara looked torn between secondhand embarrassment and fascination. She was blushing even harder than these fangirls you know. Lannete had given up entirely, her face buried in her palms.
With a long-suffering sigh, I straightened my tie properly first—if I'm doing this, I'm doing it right—then fixed the juniors with my iciest stare.
"This is the last time," I said coldly. "I'm not an actor."
Then, with deliberate slowness, I adjusted my tie properly - straightening the knot and smoothing the fabric with precise movements.
The juniors gasped in unison.
"So cool!" one whispered.
"That professional touch!" another sighed.
Flyers were snatched from my hands with surprising enthusiasm as they scattered, already chattering excitedly about the shop's opening. One particularly eager girl stumbled in her haste, only to be steadied by her friends, her face flushed with excitement.
I stared after them, deadpan.
What in the world just happened?